Robots Rising - Hardcover

Sonenklar, Carol

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805060960 ISBN 13: 9780805060966

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 1999

Synopsis

Scientists are using robo-insects to study insect behavior. Meet robo-roach-the bionic bug.

The days of industrial-looking robots with mechanical voices and dome-shaped heads are long gone. Today, a robot might crawl up your arm, locate a hidden land mine, detect cracks in nuclear storage silos, serve appetizers, or chat with you about tennis.

In this intriguing book filled with photographs and detailed illustrations, young readers are introduced to the new generation of robots: there's Mini Andros who defuses bombs, Wanda the robopike--a fish robot who studies the behavior of aquatic mammals--and Aesop 3000, a voice-controlled robotic arm that helps doctors perform invasive surgery. These are just a few of the astonishing robotic creations that are helping us learn more about our world.

About this title

About the Author

Carol Sonenklar is the author of the novels Bug Boy and Bug Girl. A freelance journalist for a variety of magazines and newspapers, Ms. Sonenklar lives in State College, Pennsylvania with her family.

John Kaufmann does illustration work and graphic design for several magazines and advertising firms. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his family.

Reviews

Grade 4-8-From insect-sized mechanisms to those that explore outer space, this book looks at the latest trends in robotics. Each chapter discusses a different type of device designed for a unique purpose. Sonenklar does an excellent job of explaining the various approaches in the field and how they have produced a wide range of mechanical beings. There are robots that find and detonate bombs, those that are being taught to think for themselves, and even tiny robodoctors that perform surgery and a robopike that mimics the behavior of a real fish. Sufficiently well organized for reports, this book is also interesting enough for general browsing. It is liberally sprinkled with black-and-white computer-generated illustrations and includes a list of Web sites for information on building your own robot. A fine update to any collection.
Yapha Nussbaum Mason, Brentwood Lower School, Los Angeles
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Using simple, direct text, Sonenklar surveys the current state of robotics for middle-grade readers. After defining robots as machines with computers inside them, she describes several types in production today, including devices used to collect data at dangerous or remote sites; gadgets shaped like insects, fish, or bats; miniaturized ones that assist in medical procedures; and humanoid automatons that aspire to artificial intelligence. A final chapter discusses robot competitions. Short chapters, large print, and frequent black-and-white illustrations make the format appealing, and the lively text will attract browsers as well as young researchers. A good introduction to a continually changing part of science. Web sites, a glossary, and a bibliography are appended. Kay Weisman

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805060960
• ISBN 13: 9780805060966
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Kaufmann John
• Number of pages: 96